My dad always describes this place as how he would have imagined the inside of the Titanic – super high ceilings, fat marble columns, dim lighting and a general sense of grandeur. To me, the restaurant looks more like an old bank, marble floors and all.
I suppose the ‘Rockpool’ name leaves little to be explained – you are pretty much guaranteed to get amazing food when you come here. The venue is great because, even though there are heaps and heaps of tables (there’s even a secret upstairs balcony you can dine on!) it still retains a hushed sense of dignity and you don’t feel like you’re eating with the crowds. The service is impeccable – rarely have I seen such great service in Sydney. Best to book here though, even on a Monday night this place was packed with (what I presume to be) the usual crowd of post-work revellers.
- What we ate:
The Mother, DS and I shared two entrees to start off with. Their portions are really generous; another refreshing thing when I have come to expect minute portions at any top-end restaurant in Sydney.
Cold Bar
– Cured Ocean Trout with Celeriac Remoulade and Horseradish Cream ($21)
Hot Starters
– Charcoal Roast Squid and Pork Belly ($28)
The Mother was slightly disappointed there were no pastas on the menu that weren’t some sort of stuffed pasta (think ravioli) or with meat-based sauces, so she requested a special Pappardelle with a tomato-based sauce and light seafood. How nice of them to accomodate such a request! DS enjoyed the Wagyu Chuck braised in red wine with gremolata and potato puree ($42) – the portion was generous enough to even fill him up (big eater…). Great dish for any guy. I went with a slice of Wagyu Skirt from the Wood-Fired Grill (approx $42) and believe you me – you can definitely taste the difference between a wood-fired grill and your normal frying pan! We shared a side of Boiled Mixed Greens with olive oil and lemon ($9).
We were rather full by the end of it and decided to share some petit fours – the Devils Food cupcake with mascarpone cream ($6) and some Passionfruit Marshmallows ($8). As you can see from the photo above – again! they were amazingly generous with the portion of the marshmallows. Needless to say we couldn’t finish them, but the staff were kind enough to give us a doggy-bag home. They also gave us some complementary dessert snacks that tasted like sweet popcorn.
Rockpool Bar and Grill
66 Hunter Street
Sydney 2000
http://www.rockpool.com/sydney/bar-and-grill/
